


Cards

by Beth Harker (Beth_Harker)



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2019-09-29 20:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17210546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth_Harker/pseuds/Beth%20Harker
Summary: Boots helps Mush pick out a Valentine’s card for Blink. 100% pure fluff.





	Cards

The shop sold a mixture of picture post cards, and confectionary. Boots had never been in before, seeing as how he was the kind of guy who didn’t like to waste his hard earned cash on stuff he didn’t need. Mush, on the other hand, loved it. The neatly organized glass tubs of hard candies in every color of the rainbow were tempting, Boots had to admit, and the chocolate covered almonds just about made him drool.

“You can start up a business selling those,” Mush told him from behind. “All’s you gotta do is buy a stake in the company, then they send you a hundred for a dollar. Knew some little girls who sold them over by the Brooklyn Bridge, along with flowers they picked. Always thought it’d be a nice job.”

“Ha!” Boots barked out his laugh. “I’d just as soon be selling wares that don’t make my mouth water. I just know if I was carryin’ around chocolates, I’d be thinking of nothing else all day.”

Mush patted his pocket, as though to make sure his coins were still in there. Boots understood why. This shop was so pretty and orderly, and Boots doubted he and Mush would even be allowed to loiter here for much longer, if Mush hadn’t bought things here plenty of times before. Money was their ticket to spend some time inside, out of the cold and squalor of the streets.

“Let’s look at the cards,” Boots suggested. “Maybe one of ‘em will stop the rumbling in my belly.”

“I’m sure they will. It’s just like being in a museum in here. There’s so many pictures to look at! I’ve got half a dozen so far, and I mean to buy two more today, one for me and one for Blink. It’s almost Saint Valentine’s Day.”

“Ain’t that for lovers?” Boots asked.

“Sarah said all the girls used to give each other nice cards when she went to school. They even made 'em, all by themselves. 'Sides, if I don’t give Blink a Valentine’s card, who’s gonna do it?”

Boots shrugged. That was fair enough, he guessed. Blink spent plenty of time with plenty of girls, but Boots didn’t suppose any of them were serious or steady, and a lot of them laughed at Blink whenever he tried to flirt, else they turned up their noses at him. Boots wondered what it would be like to have a girl to give pretty little cards to. He certainly wasn’t going to do something silly and sentimental like that for his friends. That was Mush’s speciality, and Boots’ specialty was common sense.

Nonetheless, the cards were tempting. There was one with a photograph of a real live, honest to goodness lion, and next to it there was a funny card of a rabbit trying to balance an egg on its head. There were some desert scenes that reminded Boots of Jack, all sunsets and cactuses. Boots picked one of them up.

“You think Dave’s the sentimental type?” He asked. “Since we'se giving Valentines to our friends now.”

“That’s a great idea! I wasn’t going to get card for Dave, but that one’s just the thing. I’m sure he’ll like it a lot, 'cause he likes Jack a lot, and it’ll remind him of Jack. It’s a shame there ain’t no cowboy in the picture. Think I could draw one?”

“Not on your life.” Boots had seen Mush’s attempts at drawing, and knew pretty well that his humans looked more like stick insects with balloon heads than anything else. “I can help,” Boots offered.

“I’ll get you a chocolate almond for your trouble.”

“Deal.” Boots grinned. He couldn’t believe his luck. He’d have to go shopping with Mush more often (and, he added to himself sternly, he’d have to do his very best drawing to make it worth the cost. That was the only way to make it fair.).

“This one reminds me of Blink,” Boots said with a sly smile, picking up a picture of an angel, not a cute little cherub, but a voluptuously formed lady angel, with about as much clothes as your average cherub (which was to say, not any, aside from a few conveniently placed leaves, and a garland of flowers in her hair.). “Not that I think it’s moral or upright, but it’s the kind of thing Blink looks at.”

Mush looked at the postcard for a moment, turning it to the side like there might be a secret message. “I like her smile,” Mush said. “And her hair. It’s yellow, just like Blink’s. I ain’t gonna buy it, though. Guess I’d rather give him one that’ll make him think of me, for when I’m not around.”

“You’re always around Blink,” Boots pointed out. “Right now’s the exception, but otherwise you’re always around Blink.”

“Yeah, but what if something happened, and all Blink had to remember me by was a naked angel?

"That wouldn’t do him any good,” Boots conceded. He followed Mush as he made his way around the entire wall of cards. Whenever Boots saw one that he liked, he picked it up to examine it. He had to admit that it was a peaceful way to pass an hour. Maybe it really was like being in a museum, only Boots knew that the pictures in the museum were as big as his head, and he couldn’t touch them. Children’s Aid had organized a trip to a museum once, but that had happened so long ago that only the oldest boys like Skittery could remember it. Apparently they’d gotten in enough trouble to ensure that they’d never be asked back. Boots had his doubts that he’d be allowed as far as the doorway if he went, even if he cleaned up as nice as he could.

Too soon, Mush had picked his cards out - an image of a dove for himself, and a cheerfully drawn palm tree for Blink. Mush paid the money for his three cards, and for Boots’ piece of chocolate. Outside he counted up what was left of his pennies, and with a shake of his head, returned what little he had to his pocket for safekeeping. It was drizzling outside, and the clouds made the world seem dark compared to the fancy electric lights of the shop. Still, Mush had his cards, and Boots had a piece of chocolate the size of a kidney bean to content himself with. It was time to return to the real world, at least until they could afford another break from it.


End file.
